Will North Korea’s fourth nuclear test become a game changer, leading to new sanctions and fresh multilateral pressure eventually forcing Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear program?

Or will the international response struggle to curb the DPRK’s nuclear ambitions, leaving ever-advancing weapons capabilities and further nuclear tests the likeliest outcome?

While Washington and Seoul would undoubtedly prefer the first scenario, the historical record of the past 10 years, however, suggests the latter as being more likely.

But while an acceptance of North Korea’s nuclear status remains unthinkable in either of those cities any time soon, how will players like Russia or China respond in the longer-term?

Following a warming of relations in 2015, Russian specialists familiar with North